Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani gets bail in assault case

Jignesh Mevani, independent MLA from Gujarat, was granted bail by an Assam sessions court on Friday. He was arrested for allegedly assaulting a female police officer and outraging her modesty.

He was arrested first over a defamatory tweet last Monday in which he was granted bail. Right after that, he was rearrested in the assault case. The woman police officer alleged that he assaulted her when she was carrying out her duty as a public servant.

Mevani's counsel Angshuman Bora told The Indian Express that the bail has been granted against a personal bond of Rs 1000. "He will be released on Saturday after completing the formalities".

After being rearrested on Tuesday, Mevani was remanded in five days' police custody by Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Barpeta. The lawyers approached the higher court on Wednesday, and a hearing took place on Thursday. The Barpeta Sessions court has not issued a formal order yet.

Jignesh Mevani is a Congress ally and was arrested first for tweeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers Godse as God. After the second case was filed against him, Mevani alleged that it was a conspiracy to ruin his reputation.